Patient Community Manager

Full-time | Dublin, hybrid | €35,000 to €45,000 plus equity | Start as soon as possible

About us

Nazata Bio is a Dublin-based digital health startup building HeartShield, a digital therapeutic for high blood pressure. This is the number one cause of death worldwide, responsible for one-sixth of global deaths, 10.9 million annually, more than all cancers combined. HeartShield provides automated coaching on diet, exercise, sleep and medication adherence, helping people make lasting changes to their daily habits. Our goal is to make effective, ongoing support part of everyday life for people managing high blood pressure.

HeartShield is certified as a digital medical device across Europe, and we’ve raised just under €1 million from Enterprise Ireland and private investors. We’re running a usability pilot with the Irish Heart Foundation and Health Innovation Hub Ireland, planning an Irish clinical pilot, and working towards Germany’s DiGA pathway, which allows doctors to prescribe approved digital therapeutics covered by statutory health insurance.

You’ll join as our third full-time team member, working directly with founders Tom McCartan, a doctor and biomedical engineer, and Shane O’Neill, a software and biomedical engineer. Our wider team includes part-time behavioural scientist Padraig Walsh, fractional CFO Darren Cunningham, and contractors in engineering, design and QA.

The role

We’re expanding our user testing and outreach to patients and clinics, and building a patient community around HeartShield. As Patient Community Manager, you’ll lead this work, developing relationships with patients and healthcare teams and ensuring that patient experiences help shape the product. It’s an opportunity to build a core part of Nazata Bio and see the impact of your work as HeartShield develops.

You’ll ensure our research reflects the people HeartShield is designed for: adults with high blood pressure, including older adults and people who are less confident with technology. By understanding their experiences, motivations and challenges, you’ll help the product team decide what to improve and why.

We’ll agree clear objectives together and give you the autonomy to develop your approach, with regular support from both founders and time to understand the product, our patients and our studies.

Your responsibilities

• Coordinate each round of user testing, from scheduling and onboarding participants to resolving technical issues and working with the team to ensure the correct app version is ready.

• Recruit patients who reflect our target users, building on existing channels and expanding outreach to clinics, patient organisations and community groups.

• Conduct user interviews and turn what you learn into clear findings, supporting examples and practical recommendations for the product team.

• Develop our patient community, starting with our existing WhatsApp group. Build ongoing relationships with participants and seek feedback from both long-term users and people who stop using HeartShield.

• Be a welcoming, reliable point of contact for patients through onboarding calls and technical support. Where required by a study, check study participants’ blood pressure measurement technique over video and help participants follow the measurement schedule.

• Gather patient testimonials and ensure feedback, technical issues and concerns reach the right team member promptly.

• As part of a small team, you’ll also contribute to wider company activities when needed.

What success looks like

We’ll agree initial targets together in your first week, focused on two objectives:

User research that informs product decisions. We’ll agree a monthly target for interviews with representative users and assess the quality and range of the findings, including what makes HeartShield difficult to use and why people stop using it.

An active, growing patient community. We’ll agree a target for sustained patient participation, with a focus on useful conversations, lasting relationships and a deeper understanding of motivation and behaviour at different stages of using HeartShield.

During your first week, you’ll also propose one additional measurable result for each objective, informed by what you learn about the product and our users.

Career development

As an early member of the team, you’ll have the opportunity to shape how we work with patients and develop your role as Nazata Bio grows.

Depending on your strengths, interests and the company’s needs, this could include leading research with GPs and specialists to understand HeartShield’s impact on their time and practice, expanding our patient community, or taking on broader responsibilities. We’re committed to developing our team and creating opportunities for progression as the company expands.

Working with us

This role offers substantial responsibility in a small, ambitious team. You’ll be expected to take initiative, follow through on commitments and adapt your approach as you learn. We’ll provide clear priorities, regular time with both founders and constructive feedback. We value questions and open communication, particularly when something needs to change.

About you

We’re looking for someone who combines strong interpersonal skills with curiosity, organisation and initiative.

• Warm, patient and able to build trust with people from different backgrounds, including older adults and those who need extra support with technology.

• Curious about human behaviour and interested in understanding what motivates people, what they find difficult and what helps them sustain new habits.

• Well organised, with the ability to coordinate multiple participants, manage schedules and follow up consistently.

• Proactive and resourceful, able to turn a goal into a practical plan and refine it as you learn.

• Comfortable working in an evolving environment and asking thoughtful questions to understand unfamiliar problems.

• Familiarity with AI tools and the judgement to assess their outputs critically would be an advantage.

• Willing to contribute to the practical work of a growing company, with care and attention to detail.

At least one year of experience in a role involving regular interaction with people, in any sector is preferred. Experience in customer support, community management, research, healthcare or a startup would be useful. A healthcare background or research degree is not required; we’re interested in how you think, learn and work with people.

What we offer

• €35,000 to €45,000, depending on experience, plus an equity package.

• A full-time, hybrid role based in Dublin, with your first month in person at Dogpatch Labs, IFSC, to work closely with the founders.

• Direct mentorship from our CEO and CTO, with responsibility for user research and community development from day one.

• Experience of developing a regulated digital therapeutic as it progresses through clinical studies and towards reimbursement in Germany.

• Opportunities to develop your skills and take on broader responsibilities as the company grows.

How to apply

Submit your CV through the application link, along with a short note answering this question: How would you recruit five people with high blood pressure to sign up for a patient testing session in your first week? We’re interested in your approach and reasoning.

Our selection process includes a one-week paid work trial so that both sides can experience working together. The role has a six-month probationary period, with clear objectives from the first week, weekly reviews during the initial months and monthly reviews thereafter.

Throughout the process, we’ll look for thoughtful patient communication, initiative and the ability to turn feedback into useful improvements, with clear expectations and regular guidance from the founders.